Posted December 26, 2021 by The Tehachapi News Sports Staff. Mountain Football Earns Individual
All-South Yosemite League Honors
It was a memorable season for the Warriors on the football gridiron this past season, successfully achieving the team goal of hitting the "reset" button to return the team back to prominence and pride.
After finishing the year with five victories and a playoff win over Bishop in the CIF Central Section playoffs, eight Warriors were named to the first- and second-team all-South Yosemite League squads.
Earning first team honors were Sam Orellana (senior), Rashad McElroy (senior), Benjamin Williams (senior), Steven Sills (senior) and Wyatt Richie (junior). Taking second team honors were Tylar Love (senior), Conner Davis (senior) and Rodney Michael (senior).
Orellana earned first-team All-SYL at running back, after helping the Warriors to a team-high 1,077 rushing yards, 1,146 all-purpose yards, 14 touchdowns and 86 total points. His rushing total was good for third overall in league play. Orellana was a mainstay for the Warrior offense and the heartbeat of the team, their running attack and overall success on offense.
McElroy was named as a first-team selection at defensive back, finishing the season with 27 tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. McElroy was also second on the team in total points with 59 and a standout special teams player, returning three kickoff for touchdowns during the season. McElroy had 344 yards on kickoff returns for a 34.4 yards-per-return average, the best in Kern County and second-best in Central California. McElroy was also named Northern California Special Teams State Player of the Week for his performance in a first-round playoff victory over Bishop.
Richie had a standout year at linebacker, earning first team All-SYL for the Warrior defense. Richie finished the 2021 season with 143 tackles, averaging 13 tackles per game and nearly breaking the team record for tackles on a season held by Garrett Coontz and Derek Lange, who both had 147 tackles each in the 2008 season. He also had four sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Williams earned first-team and Davis second team all-league honors for their dominance on the offensive line, providing huge running lanes for the Warriors' backs. By the end of the season, the line had helped the team amass 2,448 rushing yards ( at a rate of 5 yards per carry) and 30 rushing touchdowns.
Steven Sills earned first-team honors for his role as a punter, averaging 31.6 yards per punt and 791 punting yards overall, booting eight kicks inside the opponents 20 yard line during the season.
Also earning second-team honors was Tylar Love at running back, who had 374 yards rushing and four touchdowns, a pair of two-point conversions and 690 all-purpose yards/\.